Sen. David Barton? The Popular Christian Historian Is Apparently Considering It

Tea Party activists are reportedly urging Christian historian David Barton to primary against Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas). The move comes as some Texas Republicans question Cornyn's devotion to conservative values.

Rick Green, a close adviser to Barton and a speaker for the historian's WallBuilder's organization, told National Review Online (NRO) that more than 1,000 Tea Party and conservative leaders have asked Barton to run.

Conservative historian David Barton (Credit: AP)

"Polling says Sen. Cornyn is vulnerable and that’s why he is running ads right now," Green wrote in an e-mail to the outlet. "Like America’s Founding Fathers, David Barton will not 'seek' this office, but if the people of Texas speak loud enough in the next few days, he could most certainly be drafted in by the voters."

Just how serious are Barton's supporters? They're pretty adamant, according to JoAnn Fleming, executive director of Grassroots America We the People, a conservative political organization in Texas.

She said that some Tea Party leaders are slated to hold a conference call with Barton during the next few days.

"We believe that Senator Cornyn has become part of the establishment and we don’t believe that his priorities reflect the priorities of the people of Texas any longer," she told NRO, adding that a constitutional conservative should be occupying his seat.

A Facebook group called "Draft David Barton for US Senate" has been setup to help push the historian's potential candidacy. The group, which is invite-only, had 1,628 members as of Thursday morning.

"This group is set up to alert the grassroots that there is a movement taking place that would like to encourage David Barton with Wallbuilders to run for the US Senate against John Cornyn," reads a description of the Facebook effort.

NRO noted that Cornyn drew the ire of some conservative activists last summer when he removed his name from a letter calling for opposition to continuing resolutions that funded Obamacare. While some angst has led to support for a Barton candidacy, others are still rallying behind Cornyn, who is revered among conservatives for his pro-life and gun rights views.

News of Barton's potential run for the Senate comes after a poll conducted by Human Events and Gravis found that a generic Tea Party candid would potentially beat Cornyn if an election were held today. The generic candidate captured 46 percent of the Texas Republican voters' support who were surveyed, with Cornyn getting only 33 percent of the pool.

"The poll clearly shows Cornyn is trouble, especially when you see that in the poll Sen. R. Edward Cruz (R.-Texas) has a job approval rating of 73 percent among Republicans and Cornyn 46 percent, said the pollster Doug Kaplan," Human Events reported.

Republican Sen. John Cornyn (Credit: AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

Political polling is fluid, though, and a generic candidate differs greatly from a specific individual who carries character and professional experience -- both of which can impact public perception and electoral victory.

Timing is also another factor that impacts results, as polls are, many times, fleeting indicators of what is happening in the moment.

In early October, Politico proclaimed that, despite questions from some conservatives, Cornyn didn't have a serious challenger. It's unclear whether Barton would provide that competition, but based on the support for the conservative historian, it seems there are some who truly believe that he is the man for the job.

TheBlaze reached out to Barton and we are awaiting a response.

(H/T: National Review Online)

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